Combined lighting and ventilating fixture



March 1964 R. s. GEOCARIS ETAL 3,

COMBINED LIGHTING AND VENTILATING FIXTURE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 3, 1961 6877115: Geocmis,

m Fw

March 1964 R. s. GEOCARIS ETAL 3,125,943

COMBINED LIGHTING AND VENTILATING FIXTURE Filed April :5, 1961 March 24, 1964 R s GEQCARIS ETAL 3,125,943

COMBINED LIGHTING AND VENTILATING FIXTURE Filed April 3, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 6 Q I 72118712 4576 r a B06672? SGeocarzs Ln E zz/zzzazwa Telb CD March 1964 R. s. GEOCARIS ETAL 3,

COMBINED LIGHTING AND VENTILATING FIXTURE 6 Slieets-Sheet 4- Filed April 3, 1961 I N VEN TORS 1"- oberi 67 Geo can .9% mm NN IJ/II4'IIIIII.

March24, 1964 R. s. GEOCARIS ETAL 3,

COMBINED LIGHTING AND VENTILATING FIXTURE Filed April 5, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 6% mm L NN g g m NM Qm mm mm m6 m m g H I II IHH" "H I lllllllllllllllll INVENTORSJ- 15: Geo carw, m 6. 3 252? March 1964 R. s. GEOCARIS ETAL 3,125,943

COMBINED LIGHTING AND VENTILATING FIXTURE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 3, 1961 slum a amv n 2167215715? 12046 25 5. Geocars,

United States Patent 3,125,943 COMBINED LIGHTING AND VENTILATING FIXTURE Robert S. Geocaris, Broadview, and William C. Agrell, Forest Park, Ill., assignors to Thomas Industries Inc., Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 100,262 1 Claim. (Cl. 93-40) This invention relates to lighting and ventilating fixtures for use in false or drop ceilings and analogous structures, though suitable for other purposes, and particularly suited to air conditioning and lighting systems.

Fixtures of the general type mentioned, frequently called troffers, are known and extensively used. Such fixtures usually employ as the light source fluorescent tubes designed to emit a white light without perceptible color. In the known fixtures with which we are familiar difiiculty frequently is experienced due to over-cooling of the tubes, resulting in a perceptible reddish tinge in the emitted light, termed pink light. That is objectionable and it has proved diflicult to avoid such over-cooling of the tubes while also assuring flow of air through the fixture in substantial volume adequate to air condition and effectively cool the room or space underlying a ceiling structure incorporating combined lighting and ventilating fixtures of the character stated.

Our invention is directed to a combined lighting and ventilating fixture which avoids the objections to the known fixtures, referred to above. To that end we provide a fixture having air flow passages effectively isolated from the housing in which the tubes are mounted, so that the air flow through such passages has no perceptible cooling effect upon the tubes and the latter are maintained at optimum operating temperature. Further objects and advantages of our invention will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a lighting and ventilating fixture embodying our invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the fixture of FIGURE 1, partly broken away and with certain parts broken away and shown in section;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the fixture of FIGURE 1, with the air admission hood partly broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the fixture of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view of the fixture of FIGURE 1 with the bottom closure means removed and the lamp tubes omitted for clearness of illustration;

FIGURE 6 is an underneath view of the air admission hood and associated thermal insulating means;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 77 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 8-8 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 9-3 of FIGURE 8, certain parts being broken away and shown in elevation;

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line Ill-10 of FIGURE 1, certain parts being broken away and shown partly in section and partly in elevation;

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 1111 of FIGURE 10-, with certain parts broken away;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken subtantially on line 12-412 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 13 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing a modified form of door or bottom closure means, the fixture being broken away for approximately one half of its length;

3,125,343 Patented Mar. 24, 1964 FIGURE 14 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 12 but showing the modified form of door of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the lower portion of one side of the housing and the adjacent portion of the door of FIGURE 13, this view being taken beyond the air duct and looking toward the adjacent end cap of the housing;

FIGURE 16 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale of one corner portion of the door frame of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 17 is a side View of the corner portion of the door frame of FIGURE 15;

FIGURE 18 is an end view of the corner portion of the door frame of FIGURE 15; and

FIGURE 19 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 19'19 of FIGURE 16.

The fixture of our invention is well suited for use in drop ceiling structures such as that disclosed in patent No. 2,634,484, issued November 16, 1943, to James Y. Dunbar, for Acoustical Assembly, though, as above indicated it may be used in other and analogous installations or assemblies.

The fixture of our invention comprises a downwardly opening housing 20 of substantially elongated rectangular or oblong shape in plan. The housing 26 may be formed of any suitable material, conveniently sheet metal with a baked-on enamel finish. It comprises a flat top wall 21, side walls 22, flanged end closure caps 23 and end bars '24 (FIGURES 7 and 8). The side walls 22 have an upper substantially vertical portion 25 and a lower relatively wide and downwardly and outwardly inclined portion 26. The end bars 24 have, at each side thereof, a finger 27 extending inward along the outer faces of lower portions 26 of side walls 22 and secured thereto by sheet metal screws 28. End caps 23 are provided with tabs 23a (FIGURES 3 and 10) passing downwardly through slots in top 'wall 21 and are secured by screws 29a to upwardly extending ears 29' of end bars 24. Each of the end bars 24 is provided, at its lower edge, with an inwardly extending flange 24a, for a purpose to be explained later.

A rectangular lamp holder plate 30 (FIGURES 7, 8 and 10) is mounted in each end of housing 20 at the juncture of the upper and lower portions 25 and 26, respectively, of the respective side walls 22. Plate 30 has upwardly extending side flanges 31 each having two outwardly directed hooks 32, which engage substantially L-shaped tabs 33 pressed inwardly from upper portions 25 of side walls 222 of housing 20. In mounting the plate 30; it is disposed with the flanges 31 in contact with the tabs 33 and the hooks 32 adjacent the inner edges of tabs 33. The plate 30* is then slid outward so as to insert hooks 32 into tabs 33, in which hooks 32 have a snug fit. As the hooks 32 contact the inner edges of tabs 33, rounded protuberances or dimples 34, pressed inwardly of walls 25, snap into openings 35 in flanges 31 of plate 30' looking the latter in position. Two tube mounting socket members 36, of known type, are suitably secured to plate 30 and extend downward therefrom for reception of two fluorescent tubes mounted in the lower portion of housing :20, as will appear more fully later. Each of the plates 30 is provided with a downwardly extending boss 37 pressed therefrom, for a purpose to be explained presently. A reflector plate 39 (FIGURES 5, 7 and 8), oblong in plan, seats at its end portions on the bosses 37 of the lamp holder plates 30. Reflector plate 39 is provided with a key hole opening '40 adjacent one end and with a key hole slot 41 opening through its other end. The opening 40 and slot 41 are similarly disposed and receive securing screws 42 threaded through the bosses 37 of plates 30*. The reflector plate 39 is mounted by positioning it with the screws 42 extending through the wider portions of opening 46 and slot 4-1 and then moving it endwise to dispose the shanks of the screws 42 in the narrower portions of opening 40 and slot 41, the extent of such movement of plate 69 being limited by opening 40 and slot 41, as will be understood. Thereafter, the screws 42 are turned in until the ends of reflector plate 39 are clamped tightly between the heads of screws 42 and bosses 57 of the lamp holder plates 30. The reflector plate 39 is provided, at each side thereof, with a downwardly oflset channel element 43 having an outer side flange 44 inclined similarly to, and seating on, the inner face of the corresponding portion 26 of the side wall 22 of housing 20. Plate 39 is bowed slightly upward by the clamping screws 42, effective for holding flanges 44 seated tightly against the side walls of housing 2th As will be understood from what has been said, reflector plate 39, in conjunction with the lamp holder plates 30, separates the housing interiorly into an upper space or plenum chamber 4-5, and a lower lamp receiving chamber 46 in which two fluorescent tubes 47 are mounted by means of the socket members 36. The upper chamber 45 receives the wiring and ballast 48 and other accessories for the tubes 47, the latter being disposed in the lower lamp chamber 46. The top wall 21 of housing 20 and end caps 23 are provided with suitably disposed knock-outs to accommodate the wiring, as usual. A sheet metal radiator 49, of triple channel cross section, fits snugly about ballast 48 and also fits snugly in the upper chamber 45, elfective for dissipating heat generated by the ballast, as will be explained more fully later.

Referring to FIGURES 7 and 8, the lower edge portion of each side wall 22 of housing 20 is formed to provide an upper outwardly extending horizontal shoulder 52 connected by a vertical flange 53 to the inner edge of a comparatively wide outwardly extending horizontal shoulder 54, and an upwardly opening channel member 55 depending from the outer edge of shoulder 54. The outer arm 56 of channel member 55 is of substantially greater height than the inner arm 56a thereof (FIGURES 3 and 8) and is provided with a lengthwise rib 57 of arcuate cross section disposed above the inner arm. The drop ceiling structure of the above identified patent is suspended from a main ceiling or base and comprises a grid having members providing downwardly directed spring clips cooperating with beaded flanges of the lighting fixtures and associated acoustical units of the ceiling. The arms 56 of the channel members 55, at opposite sides of housing 20, provide flanges each having a lengthwise rib or head 57 and adapted for cooperation with a spring clip as in said patent. Two safety spring clips 58, of generally arcuate shape are secured, at their upper ends, to the sides of housing 20 adjacent each end thereof. The clips 58 are resilient, being formed of spring steel or any suitable material, and the lower ends thereof pass through slots in the sides of housing 20 and are provided with downwardly extending tabs 6% normally held in contact with the inner faces of the side walls of housing 20' by the inherent resiliency of clips 58. The clips 58 are formed to provide shoulders 61 disposed to engage over the spring clip members of the grid when the housing 29 is inserted upward into position in the drop ceiling structure. The safety spring clips 58 guard against downward movement of the housing 29 in the event of the arms or flanges 56 becoming disengaged from the spring clip members of the supporting grid structure, due to vibration or other causes, as will be understood. Each of the shoulders 54 is provided with a plurality of lengthwise slots 62 having upwardly extending baffles 63 at the ends thereof, provided by material cut from shoulder Sdto provide slots 62; for a purpose to be explained presently. V

A door or closure member 66 seats in the bottom of housing 20. The closure member 66 includes a rectangular frame comprising side and end rails 67 and 68, respectively, of channel cross section (FIGURES 7, 8 and each having vertical flanges 69' and 76, respectively,

at the inner edge of its upper arm. The end rails 68 have at each side thereof an angle finger 71, shown more clearly in FIGURES 2 and 10, fitting into the adjacent end of side rail 67 and secured thereto by screws 72. A retainer 73, [formed of any suitable material, preferably transparent plastic, is secured to flange 71 of each side rail 67 and extends into the latter defining therewith an inner channel in which a panel or light diffusing lens 74, of glass or any suitable material, is mounted. The retainer 73 terminates short of the flange 7% of the respective side rails 67, as shown in FIGURE 10. The retainer 73 extends above flange 69 and has its upper portion formed to provide a gasket 75 which has sealing contact with the inner face of side wall portion 26. The end rails 68 seat, outwardly of flanges 7th on flanges 24a of end bars 24, providing therewith light seals, there also being a light seal 24b between each end bar 24 and end cap 23, and the side rails 67 seat against the shoulders 54.

Two hinge brackets '78 (FIGURES 9 to 12) of substantially H-shape are secured by screws 79 to one of the side rails 67, at the upper face thereof. Each of the brackets 78 has an L-shaped neck 86) provided at its lower end with laterally projecting ears 31. Each of the shoulders 54 and the inner arm 56a of each of the channel members 55 are notched out at two places, as at 82' and 82a, respectively, to receive necks 8t) and ears 81 of hinge brackets 78, with cars 81 disposed in channel member 55 overlying the bottom or bight portion 55a thereof. Two screw sockets 83 (FIG. 5) are secured to each of the shoulders 54 and the other side rail 67 is provided with two captive screws 84 disposed to be threaded into the sockets 83. The door or closure member 66 can be hinged at either side and secured tightly closed by means of screws 84-, and can be quickly and easily removed and replaced as desired or as may be necessary.

The upper arm of each door side rail 67 is provided with a plurality of lengthwise slots 88 which underlie slots 62 in shoulder 54 in approximate register therewith. The lower arm of each side rail 67 is also provided with a plurality of lengthwise slots 89' (FIGURES 7, 9, 10 and 11), off-set outwardly relative to slots 88, having at their ends upwardly extending baffles 90. The slots in shoulders 54 and in the upper and lower arms of the side rails 67 terminate an appreciable distance from the ends of those members, as shown and as will appear more fully presently.

An air duct 93, closed at its ends, is mounted at each side of housing 20 in spaced relation thereto. The duct is of approximately the same height as housing 20, at its midportion, and tapers in height toward each end, which is spaced inwardly from the corresponding end of housing 20, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4. The ducts 93 respectively comprise spaced apart inner and outer walls, with the inner wall spaced from the side wall of the housing and the ends of the space between the duct walls closed by end walls suitably secured therebetween. Duct 93 seats at its bottom on shoulder 54, with its inner wall seating against flange 5'3 and its outer wall extending downward along and seating on the outer face of the inner arm 56a of channel 55; as shown in FIGURE 8. The end walls of duct 93 seat on shoulder 54 adjacent the outer ends of the end slots 62 therein and in substantial alignment with the baflies 90 at the outer ends of the end slots 89 in the lower arm of side rail 67; as shown more clearly in FIGURE 9. It will be understood from the above that each of the ducts 93 opens downward through the slots in shoulder 54- and in side rail 67. Each of the ducts is provided at its top with a flange 94 extending from its outer wall inwardly beyond its inner wall and seating on top wall 21 of housing 20, to which it is secured by sheet metal screws, as shown in FIG- URES 1, 7 and 8. The lower edge portion of the outer wall of duct 93 is secured to the inner arm 56a of channel member 55 by sheet metal screws 95, one of which is shown in FIGURE 7. The air ducts 9-3 are thus rigidly secured to housing 20- so as to be held spaced therefrom for substantially their full height providing dead air spaces between the sides of the housing and ducts 93, the latter being closed to such dead air spaces.

The top flange 94 of duct 93 is provided with a lengthwise slot 98 of substantial width, as shown in FIGURE 7. A downwardly opening hood 99, rectangular in plan and of greater width than top wall 21 of housing 20, is provided with end flanges 100 (FIGURE 1) seating on flanges 94 and secured thereto by sheet metal screws. The hood 99 is also provided with comparatively narrow side flanges 101 seating on flanges 94 outwardly beyond slots 98. Sealing strips (not shown) may be disposed between the flanges 100 of hood 99 and top wall 21 of housing 20, between flanges 94 of ducts 93, to provide air tight seals between flanges 100 and wall 21. It will be understood, from the above, that the hood 99 opens downward at the sides of housing 20 into the air ducts 93. A shallow inverted pan 102 (FIGURES 6 and 7) extends the full interior length of hood 99 adjacent the bottom thereof and is secured to the end walls of the hood, conveniently by spot welding. The pan 102 contains a pad 103 of fibre glass or other suitable insulating material, which seats on top wall 21 of housing 20 between flanges 94 of air ducts 93. The width of pad 103 is such that it overlies the area of the lamp tubes 47 and preferably extends outward therebeyond. The hood 99 is provided at its top wall with a knock-out disc 104. When the fixture is installed, the disc 104 is removed and replaced by a collar provided with a suitable damper for controlling the flow of air, there being a flexible conduit connected to the collar and to a blower or any suitable source of air under pressure, as is known.

When the fixture is installed in a drop ceiling air is supplied to hood 99 under appropriate pressure. The air flows from hood 99 downwardly through ducts 93 and through the slotted shoulders 54 and side rails 67 into the room or space underlying the drop ceiling. The insulating pad 103, in conjunction with the dead air space above reflector plate 39 and the spacing of the air ducts 93 away from the housing 20, effectively guards against objectionable cooling of the lamp chamber by air flowing through hood 99 and air ducts 93. The air is discharged at the sides of the lamp chamber, the bottom of which is closed substantially air tight by the door or closure means 66 and the retainer 73, as previously described, further guarding against cooling of the tubes 47. The heat emitted by the lamp ballast 48 is conducted by radiator 49 to the upper portions 25 of side walls 22 of housing 20 and thence to the air ducts 93 where it is dissipated by the air flowing therethrough. That precludes possibility of over-heating of tubes 4-7 by the localized heat of ballast 43. The tubes 47 are thus maintained at optimum operating temperature and pink light, due to over cooling of tubes 47 is obviated, overheating of the tubes by localized heat of ballast 48 also being effectively guarded against, assuring that tubes 47 are maintained at optimum operating temperature, as stated. The outer wall of each of the air ducts 93 is pressed outwardly, at its lower portion, to provide embossments or pockets 96 which enclose the outer portions of the hinge brackets '73 and are closed at their lower ends by the bottom wall or bight portion 55a of the respective channel members 55, as shown in FIGURES S and 12. As above described, the door 66 may be hinged at either side and the outer portions of the hinge brackets 78 extend into and are enclosed by the pockets 96 at the corresponding side of the housing 20.

The fixture of FIGURES 13 to 19, inclusive, is essentially the same as that of FIGURES 1 to 12, inclusive, except as to the bottom closure means or door and associated parts. The door 107 comprises a rectangular frame formed of side and end rails 108 and 109, respectively. The respective side rails 108 comprise an inwardly extending base flange 110, an upwardly inclined outer arm 111, a comparatively narrow shoulder 112 extending inward from the upper edge of arm 111, and a flange 113 extending upward from the inner edge of shoulder 112. Each of the end rails 109 is of channel cross section, comprising an inwardly extending base flange 114 (FIGURE 19), a vertical outer arm 115, an inwardly extending upper flange 116, of substantially greater width than shoulder 112 of side rail 108, and a comparatively narrow flange 117, of the same height as flange 113 of side rail 108, extending upward from the inner edge of flange 116. The end rail 109 is further provided with end extensions or fingers 118 which fit into the ends of the side rails 108 and seat against the inner faces of arms 111 thereof, the base flanges 114 of end rails 109 being of appropriate extent to receive the base flanges of the side rails 108 at the ends thereof, as shown in FIGURE 18. The upwardly extending flange 117 of each end rail is provided with terminal elements 119, in part arcuate, extending along the fingers 118. The side and end rails 108 and 109 are secured together by screws 120 passing through arms 111 of rails 108 and threaded through fingers 118 of the end rails, to provide the door frame. The resultant frame is rectangular in plan and has mounted therein a rectangular guard member of suitable type, such as the panel 74 of glass or other suitable material for diffusing the light.

The length of the door frame is such that arms of the end rails 109 seat against the inner faces of end caps 23 of housing 20 and the upper flanges 116 seat against flanges 24a of end bars 24. That provides, in conjunction with seals 24b, light sealing means effective for preventing passage of light from the lamp chamber downward through the ends of the housing beyond panel 74 or other guard member, which would be objectionable as detracting from the attractive appearance of the fitting and interfering with uniform distribution of the light from the lamps.

The width of the door frame is substantially less than the distance, transversely of housing 20, between the inner arms 56a of the channel members 55 at the lower edges of side walls 20. Hinge brackets 78 are secured to flange 113 of one of the side rails 10% and extend through close fitting slots in arm 111 thereof. The hinge brackets 78 extend through suitable openings in shoulder 54 and arm 56a of channel member 55, and into embossrnents or pockets 96a (FIGURE 14) of the corresponding air duct 93; as before. The door is thus hinged at one side for opening and closing and means may be provided at the other side of the door for securing it closed. Any suitable securing means may be provided, such as the screw and socket means previously described, and the arrangement preferably is such that the door may be hinged to either side of the housing, as before.

Referring to FIGURES 13 to 15, inclusive, each of the side rails 108 of the door frame is spaced inward from the inner arm 56a of the corresponding channel member 55, when the door is in closed position. The upwardly extending flange 113 of arm 108 seats tightly against a sealing gasket 123 then confined under compression between flange 113 and shoulder 52 of the lower portion 26 of side wall 22 of housing 20. That provides an air tight and light tight seal between the door and the housing at each side thereof. As noted, in the closed position of the door, the side rails 108 of the door frame are spaced inward from the inner arms 56a of channel members 55. The outer arm 111 of each side rail 103 then defines with arm 56a of channel member 55 an air delivery slot 124 underlying the slotted shoulder 54 of housing 20, extending the full length of the latter and closed at its ends by the end caps 23. Air under appropriate pressure is delivered by the air ducts 93 through the slots in shoulders 54 to the slots 124 and thence to the room or space underlying the fixture; .The air discharged from slot 124 is directed downwardly and outwardly away from housing 20 by the downwardly and outwardly inclined outer arm 111 of side rail 108, as will be clear from FIGURES 14 and 15. The shape or contour of arm 111 may, of course, be varied to suit requirements Without departing from our invention, as will be understood.

It will be understood that changes in detail may be resorted to without departing from the field and scope of our invention, and we intend to include all such variations, as fall Within the scope of the appended claim, in this application in which the preferred form only of our invention has been disclosed.

We claim:

In a combined lighting and ventilating fixture, a downwardly opening housing substantially rectangular in plan comprising a top and side and end walls, said 8 side walls-having outwardly extending shoulders at their lower edges provided with air flow openings and flanges extending downward from said outwardly extending shoulders, a door closing the bottom of said housing having side rails of channel cross section underlying said outwardly extending shoulders and having upper openings in substantial register with said air flow openings and lower openings ofiset relative to said upper openings, and means for supplying air under pressure to said air flow openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,564,334 Kennedy Aug. 14, 1951 2,845,855 Burns Aug. 5, 1958 2,960,602 Kurth et al Nov. 15, 1960 2,991,708 Fall: et a1 July 11, 1961 

